Introduction
Have you ever made a magnet with a nail, some wire, and a battery? This kind of magnet is called an electromagnet because it uses an electric current traveling through a wire to make the magnet. To make the electromagnet in this activity, a wire will be wrapped around the nail and then the wire will be connected to the ends of the battery.
Objectives
In this activity, you will
- Make an electromagnet using a steel nail, wire and a D battery.
- Measure the strength of the magnet as you wrap more wire around the nail.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.
Option 2
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Purchase the Lab Book
This experiment is #39 of Elementary Science with Vernier. The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.